Packaging device



'. y 1937- M. s. STRASSER 2,080,099

PACKAGING DEVICE Filed Jan. 10, 1936 I I l I l l 3 m .pmnmu 4 2 z 1,4 f?V /i 7 a //vvE/v7'oe 56.3 N5

Patented May 11, 1937 PATENT OFFICE PACKAGING DEVICE Myron S. Strasser,Albany, N. Y. Application January 10, 1936, Serial No. 58,584

2 Claims.

My invention relates to packaging devices and particularly to a devicefor use in loading packages or containers of the type described in mycopending application Serial No. 45,237 filed Oc- .5 tober 16, 1935.

In my said copending application I have disclosed a collapsiblecontainer comprising two principal elements; one, an open frame ofcardboard or the like, and the other, an outer cover- .10 mg or envelopefor the frame which may be an ordinary paper bag. The frame forms theinterior sides and ends of the package, and the outer envelope forms thetop and bottom thereof; the frame being of such size that when in 15serted in the envelope it will distend the same substantially tocapacity.

.In order to load or fill such a package the open frame is placed upon asubstantially horizontal surface, the goods placed therein, and

the outer envelope or bag then slid over the frame and its contents. Inthe aforesaid application, forexample, I have disclosed a scoop likereceptacle upon which the frame may be placed for loading. The goods tobe packaged are then laid in the scoop. within the frame, and the wholeis then inserted in the bag and the scoop afterwards withdrawn.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a cheap,eificient loading device for packages of this character which may beafiixed to a table or other base and which will form a support for theframe during the filling thereof. When the frame is filled, the outerbag or envelope may be slipped over the loaded frame and 35 thesupporting means and the envelope afterwards withdrawn from the supportwith the frame and its contents therein.

With these objects in view, my invention includes the novel elements andthe combinations and arrangements thereof described below andillustrated in the accompanying drawing in which-- Fig. 1 is aperspective view of my device showing, in dotted outline, the framepositioned 45 therein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device with the frame therein and showing afragmentary portion of the envelope drawn over the frame and loader;

50 Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation view in the plane 3--3 of Fig, 2; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective .views showing modifications of myinvention.

Referring to the drawing, my device is pref- 55 erably made of thinsheet metal such as stainless steel, but of sufiicient thickness,however, to provide the necessary structural stiffness.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the device is representedgenerally by the numeral l and comprises a base plate 2 and side platesforming upstanding flanges 3 and 4. The side plates at one end areextended downwardly, as shown at 5 and 6, and the bottoms of thedownwardly extending portions 5 and 6 bent inwardly, as shown at I and,8, to form supports for the device and through which screws 9 may beinserted to secure the loader to a suitable base, such as a table top50. There is thus formed a sort of open-end trough or scoop supported atone end only and extending horizontally outwardly from the supports as acantilever to provide a clear space H between the table top and thebottom of the base plate 2. The end of the trough remote from thesupports is open, as shown at l2, while a fixed diaphragm l3 extendsacross the trough near the supported end and forms a closure therefor.The distance between the open end of the trough and the diaphragm 13 maybe substantially equal to the length of the frame used in the package,and the width of the trough, that is to say the distance between theinner sides of the upstanding flanges 3 and 4 should be substantiallyequal to the width of the frame used in the package. If desired, amovable diaphragm Hi may also be provided to push the loaded packagefrom the device and, in order to facilitate this operation, a push rodl5 may be connected to the diaphragm l4 and slide in a suitable bearingI6 secured to the diaphragm IS. The height of the flanges 3 and 4 abovethe level of the base plate 2 should, of course, not exceed the depth ofthe frame employed in the package and is preferably made somewhat lessthan the depth of the frame.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modified type of loader similar to that shownin Figs. 1, 2, and 3 except the diaphragms l3 and I4 are omitted and thedevice is essentially a trough open at each end.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a further modification which is an open endtrough supported at the center and really forming two loaders because abag may be slipped over the end of either cantilever.

In operation, the cardboard frame H, which is ordinarily foldable orcollapsible, is opened or expanded and placed in the trough as shown; itbeing understood that if a movable diaphragm I4 is employed that thisdiaphragm is retracted so as to be substantially in contact with thefixed diaphragm l3 thus leaving an open space in the trough of a lengthand width substantially equal to the length and width of the frameplaced therein. The goods or materials which are tobe packaged are laidwithin the frame I! and, of course, rest upon the base plate 2. When theframe is completely loaded, the outer envelope I8 is drawn over the openend of the trough, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and the envelope with theframe therein is then slid from the loading device either by pushing onthe innermost end of the frame with the hand or by manipulating the pushrod I to force the movable diaphragm I 4 against the end of the frameand thus push the whole loaded package from the device.

In order to prevent the bag or envelope from catching on the ends of theupstanding flanges 3 and 4 these may be rounded off", if desired, asshown at l9 and 20.

ince the goods to be packaged would ordinarily be supported upon atable, I prefer to secure my device directly to the loading table. Onthe other hand, it is to be understood that the supports may be extendedsufficiently so that the trough may be secured to the floor at aconvenient elevation for the loading operation.

Wherethe goods to be packaged are of small size, such, for example, as asingle tooth brush, the loading trough or channel may be convenientlyheld in the hand instead of being secured to a table. In such case nomeans for supporting the trough as a cantilever is necessary.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiments, it isto be understood that the words which I have used are words ofdescription rather than of limitation. Hence, changes within the purviewof the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scopeand spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. A device for loading a package comprising an outer envelope or bagpermanently closed at one end, and a flexible, collapsible frame adaptedto fit closely within said envelope and to distend it substantially tocapacity; said device comprising a substantially horizontal base plateand vertical side plates of thin sheet metal forming a trough orscoop-like structure open at least at one end; said trough or scoophaving a vertical depth slightly less than the vertical depth of saidframe, and a length and width approximately equal to the length andwidth, respectively, of said frame; said side plates extendinghorizontally beyond and vertically below the bottom of said trough atthe end opposite the open end thereof and adapted to be secured to atable top or the like, whereby to support said trough as a cantileverover which said envelope may be freely drawn when said frame ispositioned in said trough until the end of said frame is substantiallycontiguous to the permanently closed end of said envelope. 2. A devicefor loading a package comprising an outer envelope or bag permanentlyclosed at one end, and a flexible, collapsible frame adapted to fitclosely within said envelope and to distend it substantially tocapacity; said device comprising a trough or scoop-like structure openat one end and closed at the other, and formed of thin sheet metal; saidtrough having a. length and width substantially equal to the length andwidth of said frame and a vertical depth not exceeding the depth of saidframe; the sides of said trough extending rearwardly and downwardlybeyond the closed end thereof to form supporting legs, and beingprovided at the bottom of said downward extensions with angularlydisposed portions adapted to rest upon and be secured to a table top orthe like to support said trough as a cantilever; the exterior bottom ofsaid trough presenting a smooth, plane surface free of projections fromend to end thereof, whereby said envelope may be drawn entirely oversaid trough and lie substantially in contact therewith throughout theexterior bottom thereof.

MYRON S. STRASSER.

